Fruit and Nut Bread

Fruit and nut bread is magical, I tell you. Not easy, though! I could have started with something basic. But instead, I attempted to mimic one of my favorite treats, the Apricot Fruit Loaf at Cobs Bread. I used a basic Sourdough Bread recipe, except I used mostly whole-wheat flour, and to that I added a handful of chopped apricots,

raisins and walnuts. I formed it into an oblong loaf and baked it in my Wolf Convection-Steam oven. I love this oven, by the way. It has an auto-steam bake function, so that the dough gets a burst of steam in that initial rise phase. This provides better oven-spring and a deep brown, shiny, caramelized crust.

Many recipes suggest using a Dutch oven like this one I’ve got my eye on, Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Dutch Oven or a La Cloche Bread Baker. But I baked for years in a conventional oven and it works just fine. It’s about degrees of success, I think. And of course, tinkering.

The loaf wasn’t super high and light, because of the heavier flour, but  it tasted delicious. DELICIOUS.